Waiting Seven Years
by Houyoku
Summary: What happened in those dark seven years, before the Hero of time reclaimed power for Hyrule? Zelda, the one who was known as Shiek, as the Princess and Seventh Sage. Her story is darker than she leads on to be believed.
1. Year One

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Waiting Seven Years

Written by Becki

(C) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

All ideas and characters (except Kiehs) belongs to Nintendo.

claps All right, this is expected to be my first decent Zelda fanfic. I actually began this series a while ago but got stuck on year three. But that was a _long_ time ago (and I mean long time ago) and I have improved much since then (A lot.); So, I'll let you people guess why the title is why it is.

Oh, and a warning. Zelda x Link fans may not particularly like this fic, but they might not particularly hate it either. (Don't worry, I don't pair Link or Zelda up with anyone else, or completely bash them. (And no pairings with OC's either --; such pairings tend to annoy me.) You'll just have to see what happens.) And also, this is pretty much my first time using a first person narrative for a fanfiction. Forgive me if I suck at that too.

Becki

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_My name is Zelda. I am known to some as Sheik, the survivor of the Sheikahs. To others, I was a barrier deflecting them from their most malevolent desires. I was the Princess of Hyrule, the heir to the throne. But my most important role was as the Seventh Sage. My power and wisdom may be great, but I fear that my decision making in the past was blundering and rash. Because of this, I forced my friends to care for my mistakes, to fix the conflicts I have caused. It has been years since the golden years whence the Hero of Time had rescued Hyrule from grave disaster. And as I sit, I remember these things. The untold secrets I yet have to reveal._

But I have no longer anyone to reveal them to.

Will you listen?

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Year One: Escape

I could hardly breathe. Squeezed in between the saddle and the muscular form sitting behind me, I held my breath as if it could make me invisible, undetectable and unnoticeable. My hands clenched at the horse's mane, the white hairs poking in between my fingers. And to make matters worse.. it began to _rain._ The clouds swollen with black, purging the rain down upon our heads. Impa tightened her grip on the reins. The horse clambered along down the path, its hooves clashing against the ground like the thunder which preceded it. The movement-made wind stung my face, but my eyes began to tear as it was anyway.

All was lost. My father, the King of Hyrule, was gone. The man that I had swore to be our enemy was believed to be a friend. The prophetic dreams I had, became true. Nobody believed them except Impa, my best friend.

And.. and Link.

It was over. My hair fell loose from my cloth headdress, falling into my hurting eyes. The rain became thick, and although I could not see, I knew we were in hot pursuit. He would not let us get away so quickly and easily.

Not Ganondorf, King of the Gerudos.

The Ocarina of Time was clutched in my free hand by my lap. My most precious possession. The only keepsake I had of my mother. Truth be told, I never knew her. She died when I was a year old. But the Ocarina was always warm when I touched it. I knew, it was her embrace. But it felt so cold now.

The wind whistled through the mouthpiece, trailing a sour, wet note the whole way. With despair I closed my thumb of the hole, and the tone was stopped.

The crowds parted as the white steed darted through, guided by Impa's touch on the reins. I could see the chaos with my own two eyes, the people of Hyrule running and yelling. They watched us with just as much fear as we watched them. But they did not know what had happened. They did not know what could happen.

The gate! The drawbridge was already opening. The Hyrule guards and dropped the chains on the crank, and the wooden structure quickly lowered. It was completely down just in time for us and the horse to pass through. But as I forced my tired eyes further down, my heart jolted with a sickening jump.

A figure was already waiting. A green clad person, face wet and eyes bright. A globe of winged white light hovered above his head, dipping as the rain continued down. I stared, completely stuck in dilemma.

My hands slipped against the Ocarina, but before my decision was made, our horse just missed trampling upon him, and he began to shrink as the horse continued on without the slightest halt.

"Impa!" I cried out, an arm lashing out. My nurse firmly secured her grip along my waist and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, your majesty, I cannot stop." As she spoke these dreaded words, even before the tumbled from her red painted lips, I moved quickly. My frozen fingers were stiff on the Ocarina, and I prayed silently that it would not break at the hands of the earth. Pulling back my wrist, I wound my arm back and threw it as hard as my strength would allow.

At that moment, the Goddesses answered my prayer. A wind picked up, guided by my hand. The blue flute soared on the wings of the gale, and I just barely saw the splash in the moat. As I nearly fell off of the horse following my fortunate toss, Impa pulled me back as I cried out with surprise.

I regained my spot at the stallion's mane, my eyes closed and mind spinning with anxiety. Impa's arm tightened as the horse moved along the rocky terrain. My only hope was for Link's decision. Ganondorf would not.. no... _cannot_ open the way towards the Sacred Realm. All of Hyrule depended on it.

It was long. Far too long.

Impa and I stared long at the direction where Hyrule castle lay. We remained on our horses in case we would be pursued again. But nothing happened. The rain had suddenly stopped, but the clouds were still dark with their looks of distaste. I knew nothing of Link, of Ganondorf.

I hoped that the spell I had cast on the Ocarina had preserved. If it hadn't, Link would not know what to do. Then all the troubles I had caused would be pointed to him. If that be the case, I could never forgive myself.

Impa spoke kind and comforting words.

"He's a good lad. We can trust him and his potential. Your dreams have never been incorrect, princess." She said, her eyes sharp with such sureness and confidence.

I smiled weakly, brushing the wet, limp strands of blond hair from my brow.

"Y-yes.. I'm sorry for losing courage, Impa." And she said something that I would always remember.

"Courage is never lost. It can only be found. Now, I am unsure what we must do. But I know that it would mean certain fatality if we return to the castle."

"Then.. what do we do..?" I said heavy-hearted. I rubbed the back of my hand where a cut had formed.

"I don't--"

Something must have cut her off, because she stopped still and abruptly turned her head to one side. Her keen eyes were searching the wood, and she motioned me to be still.

Drawing her saber out from the sheathe at her side, her other hand groped for the reins. The horse as well, seemed apprehensive, which caused the same nervousness in me.

As soon as the hedge and the bushes started to sway, I froze with silence. My trust was entirely in Impa, she got me out of Hyrule Castle, I knew whatever it was, she could.. she could protect me.

A soft glow appeared along the hedge. It was bright and mystifying. I held my breath. A lantern first hovered out of the foliage, a bright light from within flickering. Then a bony black hand followed tight on the lantern's top. Two glowing gold eyes, and a ghost like figure.

Impa tensed. The poe glittered a warning grin.

"Princess Zelda, I bring news from the Evil King. It is only a futile effort to keep running. That boy of the forest is dead."

I tensed inside.

_He's lying! _My true instincts told me. But I listened.

"Return to Hyrule and you will be spared." I felt anger stir in my soul, and I spat it out loud.

"Who does he think he is speaking to? Is he some coward to send a minion to speak with me? It is purely an act of disrespect. Return to your king and give him my answer." I may have been thought of as a spoiled, self-centered brat. But I wanted to make sure that my reply was clear. I would be content to never lay eyes on that beast again.

"It is by your death." The messenger cackled. With a simple spin, it dissolved into the air.

I couldn't stop it from happening. Tears spilled from my eyes, I wanted to stop it and I couldn't understand why it was happening. Impa frowned and sheathed her weapon.

"Princess, we must plan something." She said firmly. I couldn't speak. She didn't know that I was crying, but I didn't want her to know. I couldn't lose.. no, I had to _find_ my courage. But I something came to me as if from nowhere.

"I..Impa.." I said with as straight a voice as I could muster. "Go back to Kakariko."

"What?" She said roughly, and I knew she was frowning.

"Impa, please, trust me. If you stay with me, your life will be in danger."

"But it is my duty to protect you."

"I know this is what I must do. I must find my strength. If you return to the village, Ganondorf will think I am with you somehow, but he can't lay a finger on you. We must allude him. You said so yourself, my visions have never misguided me."

"When did you foresee this?" She said, and I could sense a slight bit of skepticism in her voice.

"I.. I didn't." I confessed. "But it is an instinct. Please."

Impa sighed and there was a bit of silence. The horse paced its forelegs and nickered lightly. Then I felt something itching at the back of my mind. A strange presence that began to make me feel uncomfortable..

"Princess!" Impa said suddenly. Without warning, she clasped her arms over my head and threw both me and herself off of the horse. We hit the ground, and I screamed as I felt the pain in my head grow. Her strong hand was on my cranium, protecting my head from whatever physical force that chosen to attack us.

She whispered softly into my ear.

"Go!" There was great pressure in her voice as she spoke those words. "Go, I trust that Nayru's wisdom speaks through you!" I heard the high pitched ring of her thin sword as she drew it out.

I scrambled to my feet and felt her shelter raise. Quickly, I thought of the woods. The place where Link had been sheltered and guided, the place of great tranquility and safety.

Without any more beckoning from my nurse, I entered the forest, feeling the cool shade of the trees upon my face. The twigs on the ground snapped under my sandals. And I, unaccustomed to vigorous physical activity sought my breath. It was strange how absurd my ideas of the forest were. I had always imagined the swaying trees and the pallid light strumming through the leaves. The haven of a place where intelligence and gentleness was invited.

How wrong I was. The dry branches scratched my fair, pampered skin. The trees bit at my clothes, and I could see in the broad sunlight the swarms of insects and airborne particles of dust and pollen.

I yet did not know what had attacked us was. All I could know, it could have been the Evil King himself.

My mind shuddered at the thought. My thoughts could not be spared for such a sad man.

_Please Link.._ I remember thinking to myself as I ran through those woods. _Please.. I'm sure.. that you can fix all of this.._ I wondered where he was, whether the Triforce had excepted his noble soul.

I stopped still and wiped my face with my dirty sleeve, only successfully making my cheek dirtier. The tears threatened to spill, but I forced them into bay, I couldn't be the spoiled Princess I was. I couldn't.

Music touched my ears. Such beautiful music..

I turned my head up, my hair fell loose from my headdress and tumbled wearily into my brow. The wavering notes upon the faring breeze. I still remember the tune. That simplistic tune that broke all barriers of the years, making sure that I would always remember.

Pausing, I wondered what in Hyrule could be in the forest as well. Perhaps.. the children of the forest, the Kokiri? I felt both elation and relief sweep through my body. I could get help. There was bound to be people who would combat Ganondorf, disregard his ways.

Creeping passed the birch trees, I tried to locate the direction from whence the song came. It wasn't difficult, the music was quite clear, wafting through the trees and dancing along the leaves.

When I parted a pair of branches, sunlight brightly greeted my eyes. There was a clearing where the trees dare not grow. A clearing where the patch of blue sky was easily seen, where the sun smiled freely down. I could see the toadstools dotting along the rotting logs, the clean stumps sticking quite defiantly from the ground.

There was a figure whose back was to me. I felt disappointment cloud my desires. It looked like a figure of a young boy, perhaps two or three years my senior. But he was not clad in the green of the forest like I had expected. Then fear overtook me.

And it was then I gasped suddenly. I remembered reading about events of gangs and bandits who wandered the forests and secret places with their hideouts. They never traveled by themselves. Never.

He heard me.

Spinning around, I saw the boy's face clearly before I retreated back behind the branches. It was the face of a gentle boy, and he was not all that unattractive. He had dark bluish eyes lined with silver around the iris and silver hair, but I specifically remembered his piercing eyes.

I knew it was too late, he had seen me. I could easily get away, but he would most likely be a faster runner than I. And as it was, my feet wouldn't budge.

The music had stopped. I heard a knife released from its sheathe and his voice.

"Come out! If you dare spy on someone, it's best that you at least try to have some stealth."

Then I did something that could be called either stupid or incredibly brave.

"Well, of course playing music in the middle of a forest couldn't attract any attention." Again, my pride forced my tongue to antagonize whoever this was. "Could you blame me for being interested?" I bent the branches back and revealed myself to him, fully convinced that he was not a danger. I prayed that Impa was correct about Nayru's wisdom through me.

He creased his fair brow and looked at me, as if he had expected to see some great ugly beast.

"Who are you..?" He asked, his eyes fell lingeringly on the Triforce design at the sash of my robes. I studied him in return, and couldn't help but notice the dark scarlet colored, eye-shaped brooch which clasped his gray cloak together. At that moment, I gasped, recognizing the symbol.

"You.. must be of the Sheikah tribe!" I knew at once that he was not a threat. Impa herself was of the Sheikah, and they have had a strong bond with the Royal Family.

"...." He eyed me suspiciously, and I could not help but notice that he had not lowered his weapon. "Why would it matter to you?" He asked with a frown.

"Well, because.." I paused. It would be a dangerous plan to let just anybody know who I was. Whether they played very pretty music or not. "It.. interests me."

"Would you like to answer my question now?"

"Oh, yes.." My mind flew with answers to give. Finally, I chose one. "Rehna. My name is Rehna."

"...Odd."

"Well, I don't suppose your name is any better." I took that single word as a sting to my pride. I had chosen the name of my late mother. It was about the only thing I knew about her, and I had always thought it a beautiful name.

"...My name is Kiehs." He said, lowering his short blade. He seemed to think I was no longer some kind of threat, and sheathed his knife. He turned away.

"Wait.." I called. He sat down and brushed his unusually colored hair away from his even stranger eyes.

"Are you ready to tell me the truth?"  
"Wha- what?"

"Your name. It isn't Rehna, is it? I can see the false truth written on your face." He said, expressionless. I stared at him incredulously with a frown.

"How can you know..?"

"The Sheikah hold truth sacred." He said simply, a flute in his hand. The source for that beautiful music. "I don't see why you should hide your name."

"Well.. there are several reasons." I said logically. "You could be anyone. Seeing how I've met you a few minutes ago, I don't see how I can trust you."

"I gave you my name, didn't I?"

"But.." I said with a mischievous face. "How do I know that's really your name?"

"You don't." He said.

"...You.. are a puzzling person." I said, raising an eyebrow.

"..." Silence. How strange it must have been, I, the Princess of Hyrule conversing with one of my own subjects. Well, I hated referring to them that way.. but..

"Well, if you really must know, my name is Zelda."

"I know."

"What?!"

"I knew that. Blond hair, blue eyes. Traditional Hylian traits, indeed. Not to mention the rich clothing and the fact you freely wear the Triforce on your garb. It didn't take much to guess."

My face grew hot. I must have underestimated him.

"And.. you're not even curious why I'm out here, unescorted and alone?"

"...I don't suppose you were being forced to marry and wanted to run away from home?" He said sardonically, repeating such a cliché idea made me shudder. I sighed and covered my eyes with a hand.

"Never mind. Anyways, would you be interested in helping me?" I looked through in between my fingers to look at him. He stared at me seriously.

"What kind of aid are you looking for?"

"You.. don't understand." I said, lowering my hands and being as hopeful as I could. "You don't."

He was still, but his eyes stared distantly, almost right through me.

"I don't know how much I could offer. I live alone."

"You.. don't have a family? Where.. do you live...?"

He stood up, his flute at hand.

"Deep in the forest."

"So.. you'll help me?" I felt something probe closer, that same force Impa was protecting me from. "Please, hurry, something's coming.."

"Fine." He said finally. "Follow me."

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	2. Year One Continued

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Waiting Seven Years

Written by Becki

(C) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

All ideas and characters (except Kiehs) belongs to Nintendo.

Okay! I was actually surprised at the number of people who reviewed :D I didn't expect that So, I'll write some thank you notes

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Hyliansage: Well, I see you once again Thank you for being so faithful to me and my pathetic fics, I very much appreciate it! glomp I can't wait till your next update, I'd love to read some more of your stuff

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Nagem: Oh... well, I first began writing off of the 'seven years' idea about four years ago (I did say that it was a long time ago.. ; ), when it wasn't so cliché.. At the time, the 'Return of Ganondorf' idea was very popular Oo; I guess it still is now.. but I hope you understand ;

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Blowfish the Monkey Tamer: Kya! You weren't supposed to spoil it Oh well, I guess it was sorta obvious ; Kiehs is actually based on one of my original characters from my original story. I made it up a long while ago for this fiction, but I actually liked the name ; (I'm such a loser..) Haha, I love your alias

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ayachan21: I think three fourths of the Zelda fans out there are Zelinkers ; But like I said before, it won't be nearly as bad as most people think from my warning ; And no madeup characters/original cast pairings either like I said, so it won't be that bad Thanks for being brave and reading anyway! I really appreciate that

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neosun7: Thank you! I hope it's as interesting as it's perceived I mean, I can't be the only one wondering how Zelda got all of those Teleportation songs, right? ;

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Robyn: I hope it's worth it :D I really do intend to finish this series, especially because I didn't last time. My goal is to finish it by the end of summer, before school starts ; It won't be terribly long, I don't want to dwell too much out of the seven years

Year One (Part Two):

There was such a nice smell inside, it reminded me of those books and old tables which sat up in the study towers. A fresh wood-like smell. I looked around in awe at the clearing inside of a natural wall, a wall of tall sturdy trees which circled around like protective sentinels. A small place at the heart of the forest, concealed by Farore's works. Kiehs allowed me some time to gape at the enormity of these trees before moving on. He seemed uninterested or at least accustomed to such magnificent structures. At the end of the clearing, there were mushrooms which stuck out like gems amongst the fallen leaves. There was one large stump at the opposite side, and it appeared to be our destination.

Before we had even covered half the distance of the clearing, there was distant barking that made me stop still. A medium-sized wolf-like dog bounded from the trees and clawed at the Sheikah boy before me. The dog was squirming with excitement, dark eyes bright and loyal. Kiehs simply touched the dog's head on top of its cranium between the ears and continued on. The dog looked at me and began a low growl. I shrank back, and Kiehs paid no attention.

The dog sniffed at me, taking in all the scents of palace life. Not that much of that perfumed scent remained, I can imagine the rain washed most of it off. Finally confirming I really was no threat, the dog ignored me and bolted back to Kiehs.

When I came up on him, he was standing in front of the stump, the sunlight which streaked in causing a glazy effect on his silver hair.

"What..?" I began, but he motioned me to be silent. He looked above, at the canopy of trees, eyes narrowed. The dog shared his silence, ears twitching at the slightest noise.

"What you are to see no outsider has ever witnessed before. My eyes are of truth, but many are blind to it." I stood next to him, my head just barely reached his shoulders. I turned to look at him, his profile to me.

"What do you see?" I asked softly, frowning with insecurity. Eyes of truth? What was that supposed to mean? I was often good at recognizing such puzzling statements, but I was confused at what he said. Did he have some sort of talent?

"More like what I do not see." He said simply. Without another word, he dipped down to lay a hand on top of the cleanly cut stump.

I heard myself gasp in surprise as his hand went right through, as if his arm was stuck in the wood. He pulled back with a wry grin on his face.

"An illusion.." I said in awe, and found myself coming closer to study it further. The top looked like it was there, it was so real. But when I brought my hand down as he did, my fingers slipped right through. I pulled back, unsure.

"So.. you can see the opening in the stump?" I said, finally understanding what he meant. He must see through illusions..

"Hm." Was his reply. Swinging his legs over the side of the disguised opening, he disappeared altogether, swallowed up by the stump as he jumped down. I heard his soft landing below and stood outside, alone, not sure of what to do. "There are vines you can use to climb down." Was his reply from below.

The dog panted and had wandered away. I paused, feeling for the edge of the stump. When I did grasp something rough on the opposite side, I held on tight and trusted my instincts. Taking a deep breath as if I were to dive underwater, I pulled myself in, holding onto the tough vines on the inside.

There was a long tunnel below. My hands moved briskly as I pulled myself down the wall of vines, making sure each grip was strong. When my feet touched firm ground again, I thanked the goddesses that the vines were able to support my weight. I let go of my breath.

There was a small room under the ground of the hidden entrance. Paved with rock and decorated with intricate patterns. There was a scent in the air, which smelled of light incense. I saw random arcs in the design, but there were no doors. Just a small room. Kiehs was nowhere in sight.

"Ki-Kiehs?" I called, the room echoing my voice back to me. And I realized instantly that they had to be more illusions. I approached one of the arcs engraved in the wall and pressed my hand toward it, expecting it to go through. But my hand just touched the strong, solid rock.

"I'm here." I jumped as Kiehs' voice came just behind me. Swinging around with my back against the wall, I looked to see him staring at me with amusement. Embarrassed, I clasped my hands behind my back and tried to look as composed as possible.

He explained to me, seeing my puzzled face as I leaned off of the wall. "There is a large branch of tunnels, it's easy to get lost."

"You.. you live here alone?" I asked, blinking.

"I do." He confirmed, turning away and changing the subject abruptly. "There's a room that would most likely satisfy your needs.."

"I.. I don't plan on hiding!" I said with some dignity. It seemed cowardly for me to stay underground in what appeared to be a Sheikah hideout while the world above was under control of a mad tyrant. "Hyrule is dying!"

"..." He said nothing at first, face impassive. I had realized that he still did not know why I was here, or what had happened. He turned away and faced the arc that was to the opposite of us.

"Follow me." As he disappeared through the wall, I gave a shudder, blocking out the images at the castle. The sudden attack, the shouts and the pursuing black horse. But I had yet to know the enormity of my decisions.

I went through the wall, through the sheen that so well disguised the hall. When I came through, there were torches with colored glows on the walls, every bit of darkness forced out with the light. I saw Kiehs just in front of me, and I kept an eye on his back in case there were more illusions.

My feet had already begun to hurt. The trek through the forest had not done them good, and my sandals which clanked against the hard, cold ground made my ankles stiff. As each window of color batted against my face, Kiehs finally stopped at a dead end, an a beam of natural light flooding down. We stood in a circular area at the end of the hall, looking up at the bright blue sky and the sunlight which came through.

Kiehs touched the wall, moving his lips in silent words and trailing his finger across as if reading invisible lines. When I touched the wall, I could feel dents etched into the stone, and following his gestures I felt the words across the wall. What did the Sheikah have with illusions? Why did they conceal themselves so? Even their writing across the wall was completely invisible to my eyes.

"We're.." I stared up, feeling the wind sweep down through the opening. Kiehs began to speak.

"The Sheikah were able to see many things. Wise and yet mischievous in their ways, mysterious and secluded. They were once the greatest race of Hyrule, believed to be favored by Nayru herself." I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head at him, wanting him to continue.

"We knew many of the legends and passed each story down. Prophecies of great men and sages, the unlimited power of the Triforce." That is when I tensed. He sensed my angst and turned to me. I gave an apologetic expression and nodded.

"Go on." I said in a light whisper. And he gave me a strange look. An expression that was almost broken but still deathly serious.

"Such... greed leads to destruction. Is there.. something I should know?" He said cautiously, altering the subject. That strange look on his face hardly faltered. I looked up to the sky again, my mind slightly wandering as I wondered where exactly the opening above was.

"The.. the Royal Family have similar customs. We exchange stories in words, in pictures, and in music. But we had.. the door to the legends. We were able to embrace them, but at the same time were chosen to protect the power, as well as the door."

"What.. are you saying?" He said, not liking the way my voice paused as I spoke.

"Do you already know?" I said slowly, his eyes revealed nothing to me.

"Ha." He laughed blandly, nothing of mirth but of ironic sarcasm. "I know too much. It would be marked in the circle of history forever what would happen. The gods grant a limited gift, but is the world so benevolent to leave it be? No. I may not know of the world around me, but I know enough. More than enough.

"So tell me. Who is it that has dared to break open the seal?" He asked directly. I raised my eyes, defiant.

"I am." I was ready to blame myself for this, but I felt so betrayed. My father who did not believe me, my mother who had died before I knew her. The door to the Sacred realm had been in my possession, it had been my responsibility, although it was to be the burden of my family as a whole.

"It must me more serious than that." He said bluntly, and I felt hurt.

"I have given the Ocarina of Time to the warrior of the forest. He whom I saw in my dreams was to deliver Hyrule in the darkest days. He whom the goddesses have chosen to close off such greed and such malevolent things."

"The Hero of Time." He said, surprising me. He had his head tilted up, dark eyes glinting in the light. But I felt excited.

"Has.. has the Sacred Realm accepted him?" I asked him instantly. "What do the legends say?"

"That a man which such determination and courage may lay hands on the sword of evil's bane and take it up against the foe."

"Does that mean.." I raised my eyebrows. "that he has received the Triforce's blessing?" He touched the wall. After a few seconds, he dropped his hand, his eyes dark.

"It is left for us to find out."

"...." I touched the brooch at my neck, creasing my brow with a troubled glance. "Do.." I stopped before I had finished starting the sentence, my mind swirling with possibilities. Kiehs turned and looked at me, expecting the rest of my question. If Kiehs had so easily guessed my heritage from my clothes, I was sure others could as well. "Do you have any extra clothing I can wear?"

I have come to believe all clothing the Shiekah wear are tight fitted, to show the lithe body structure they seemed to have. It was difficult to say which garment was for a male or a female person. I had been given a tunic tied at the waist with a black sash and black pants that stuck to my legs with thin material. It wasn't so thick as the apparel I wore normally at the palace, and they gave me freedom to movement. A short black cloak was tied around my neck. I had not received a brooch for it, and didn't expect to get one.

My figure was still adolescent. I was just ten years of age, but knew too much for my years. The scholars had said I must have been some sort of prodigy. But I felt so young and afraid, not knowing what was waiting for me tomorrow, or the next day. Whether I would ever see a familiar face again.

I stared into a long, rectangular mirror with cracks that branched at the sides. I looked so awkward. Messy tangled blonde hair above sky blue eyes. Dark clothing against my pale white skin. Sighing, I knew I couldn't always match. Combing my hair to the best of my ability with my fingers, I took a red scarf at the length of my arm and tied my short hair back. As I turned away from the mirror, he noted the bruise under my right eye, not knowing where that had come from. Had it always been there?

I had left my old clothes on the bed, supposing this was to be my room. Kiehs didn't seem to care whether I'd stay here, as long as I didn't get into some kind of trouble. He guided me to my room and slipped away after I had found my clothes, and I hoped that he wasn't standing outside of the door.

And that was another thing. There were doors around, and they were real. I could imagine there were other leading tunnels through spaces in the wall where I could not see. The Sheikah must have been geniuses with illusions, they seemed to use them a lot.

When I stepped outside, Kiehs was not there. I tried to retrace my steps and found myself back in that small room under the tree stump. I counted the arcs down to see where my room was located. Three arcs down on the left side. I'd remember and not have to depend on Kiehs to show me every time.

I heard barking above, barking from that dog from before. Standing under the area where the tree stump was, I looked up and saw the illusion of wood which covered the opening. Grasping the vines, I slowly climbed up, knowing that I would be used to this eventually.

When my head prodded out of the hole, I saw an image of my head sticking out of the wood like a pig's head on a platter. Climbing out entirely, I saw Kiehs sitting comfortably at the edge of long grass with the dog sitting at his feet. The dog panted happily at the Sheikah and twitched an ear as I approached. Both of them paid absolutely no attention to me.

I sat down a good distance away. Silently watching, I wondered why he had decided to shelter me when there was nothing with which I could pay him back for. But perhaps he simply didn't care?

"What is his name?" I said suddenly, looking to the dog, wanting to change the subject of my thoughts. Keihs didn't look at me, nor the dog, but kept his steady gaze distantly at the wall of trees.

"Iarth." He said mildly, hardly blinking. I wrinkled my nose. He wasn't being very commutative.

The silence was devastatingly awkward. I had no idea what we were to do next, and he hardly knew what had happened either. Pulling my knees close to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and tilted my head.

"Play a song for me, please? Something like what you played in at the forest's edge." He paused, his fingers against his long bone flute. After a few seconds, he took up his instrument and wet his lips. The first note was hollow and unconfident. Then a scale followed, clear and whistle-like in the wind. I leaned my head on my knees, listening intently.

Iarth yawned, a great pink tongue curling under his wide maw. I closed my eyes and let the song relieve my senses. And from that moment, I felt that I had found my courage.

* * *


	3. Year Two

****

Waiting Seven Years

Written by Becki

(C) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

All ideas and characters (except Kiehs) belongs to Nintendo.

* * *

Year Two:

My memory just vaguely remembers those days upon finding my lodge. I learned so much from Kiehs, not from his words but his actions. He was one of few words, soft-spoken, but I knew he had a quick wit. He gave his music as simply as the forest gave life. I learned the magic of music, as well as some spells of the Sheikah Kiehs was willing to share.

And I found time had passed so quickly. It was just one quarter of a moon until a year since the siege of the palace. I knew I had little time. I knew not of what had happened to Link, and I knew he knew nothing of my fate. It was impossible for him to find where I was, the forest hiding me and the Sheikah's magic disguising.

I told Kiehs I needed to gather information. There was a time when nightmares in my sleep grew. I knew I couldn't hide forever, but I was afraid. Kiehs did me a great relief by offering to accompany me. He knew these lands better than I did, which to me seemed ironic because I was to rule it someday. Someday..

I would not waste any more time. A year had already passed before I could blink. But it had not gone for naught, I knew many things I had not known upon leaving the palace. I knew few spells held sacred to the Sheikah. One spell Kiehs called Glamour, the ability to use one's channel of magic to place a shield of illusions on themselves. I could easily change my appearance with such magic. When he told me of it, I was alarmed.

"How can I know that how you stand before me now is truly your appearance since birth?" I queried incredulously. He simply raised an eyebrow at me.

"You don't." It mattered little, but I was still shocked. I suppose if I had the eyes of truth like he did, I would know how he truly looked. But I doubted he was using the Glamour this whole time, it was impossible. Glamour drained your magic rapidly. I was told to use it lightly.

I had also learned to fight. I knew a few weaponry spells learned at the castle by my tutor, but physical fighting was far different. I had a short dagger adorned with the Sheikah's eye symbol clasped at my side, and a pocket of long throwing needles. Both were weapons of an assassin, quick, deadly, silent. My hands and fingers were covered in thick bandages for handling the needles, and the once soft skin of my palms were hard with blisters.

It was time. I stood at the edge of the circle of our enormous trees, swallowing the large lump of fear in my throat. Iarth stood next to Kiehs, panting heavily as the Sheikah pet him. The dog had grown used to me and accepted the fact that I would not leave for a while. He even let me pet him once, but all of his attention was towards Kiehs.

"Ready?" I said softly. It was dark, one of those starless, moonless nights. If we were to sneak back into Hyrule Market, it would be during a time nobody and nothing could see us. Things have changed, I knew. No more music in the square, nor would there be any liveliness from the people.

Kiehs did not respond. He simply whispered something to the dog, drew his dark cloak around himself. I did the same. Iarth winced once and sat obediently on his haunches.

Tracing the path of the trees, the two of us trailed through the forest. I followed him carefully, keeping my fear quenched deep inside. It was harder for me to navigate in the dark.

The only time I stopped was when I heard a deep howl echo through the trees. I froze, it sounded so close. I swore I saw something move, but before I did anything, I felt Kiehs' strong grip clamp around by wrist and pull me along.

I kept his pace, I wasn't sure whether he was slowing down to adjust to mine or my agility had suddenly quickened. Whatever it be, I had no trouble keeping up with him. My hair constantly went into my eyes as I ran, and I irritably wiped it off my brow. The night was strangely still.

When we reached the outskirts of the forest, I immediately heard the Zora's river. It was still dark, I couldn't see a thing. Kiehs seemed to be aware of this, and whispered a few words I couldn't catch under his breath. A small globe of light ignited above our heads, as bright as a firefly, subtle yet durable. It reminded me of the fairies of the forest. The fairies that were like a sphere of light with delicate wings as a dragonfly.

As I followed him, the light followed us. I remembered this path as it had been the path Impa and I had taken just a year ago. I thought of her often, I wondered what worry I had caused her. As of now, she could have thought me dead.

I shuddered off the guilt and focused on keeping up with Kiehs. We would reach the castle by midnight, he had told me. I couldn't help but feel apprehensive at the thought. Midnight, at a night so still I could hear my own heart shudder. Something.. wasn't right.

When I saw the castle coming fast, I felt all fears fall with a silent crash. The thought was indeed terrible enough, but when I actually had to return to this place--the home I had been forced out of--it was far worse. Both Kiehs and I were prepared to fight if need be, but first, we would have to scale the walls to get in.

Ah, but only one of the two was really necessary. I saw in surprised as we approached how the drawbridge had split in the middle. The chains had broken, the links had fallen into the murky waters of the moat. I shuddered, and looked to Kiehs as we hesitated. He quenched the light by catching it in his hand with a simple word, and looked through the gate.

"Let's go." He said so soft I thought the words lost in the wind. He hurried across the caved in bridge with his cloak flashing behind him. I nodded gently although nobody could see, and followed suit. 

What horrors do one witness when returning to their hometown to see it in ruins? How could I stop the overwhelming sadness as I saw what destruction had been done in a single year? I stared appalled at the blackness of the town, my own town. The signs creaked above the doors on the shops, the ground was covered and black. I half-expected to see corpses decorating each corner. I was not far from wrong.

"Behind you!" Kiehs hissed.

Something with a high pitched voice screamed behind me, my ears vibrating with that horrendous sound. Instinctively my hand reached for the dagger that hung at my waist, and I slid it out with trembling hands and swung around with the blade before me. Successfully the blade sliced through flesh, I shuddered and expected the warm crimson flow to flood my hands. None came.

As my eyes adjusted I saw dark holes as the eyes. Scars at the hollow, gaunt cheeks and a short, gaping mouth. Instantly I pulled back with my knife as I stared in horror. It blindly groped for me with long, bone-less arms and I covered my mouth to stop a frightened and astonished yell.

Kiehs acted as I was clearly unable to. In a swift dance-like assault, his blade drew over the dead flesh of the creature. Black stripes covered the brown corpse, but blood did not spill. When his last blow landed, he pulled back with his blade clean. With a shaky groan, the monster fell to the ground, and slumped.

"That was stupid." He said bluntly, keeping his blade out. I recovered, my hand still over my mouth.

"I-I'm sorry. I should have acted." I said humbly, staring at the figure then finally tearing my eyes away. "What was that..?" My hood was undone, my tied gold hair spilling over my shoulders.

"Living dead." He said as I blinked at him. "Redead. They have no thoughts, no emotion. They crave life, they need it. But as much life as they take, they never receive it." Suddenly, he turned jerkily away, then looked back at me. "Come, something stirs." Together we headed down through the once bright court, to go towards the castle.

I saw how burned the buildings were, and how dust and soot together mingled on the ground and polluted the wind. As we passed through darkness and shadow, I kept my eyes on my companion's back, unable to look anywhere else. But what I feared most--but was expecting-- was what had happened to the Castle of Hyrule itself.

_Come.._

I stopped upon hearing the words in my head. The words were strangely voiceless, I couldn't identify the gender nor any traits of the person who had spoken it. It couldn't be my imagination, I knew it wasn't. An invitation.

When Kiehs didn't hear me run after him, he stopped also and looked at me with questioning eyes. I hardly noticed, because I heard it again.

_Come.._

"What are you doing?" The Sheikah asked me, his voice hushed, but tight. I turned away, feeling slightly dizzy.

"The.. temple.." I said softly. My eyes looked straight towards the Temple of Time above those dark steps. It, unlike the rest of the town, was untouched. As if invisible hands were leading me, I approached the steps.

"What--" Kiehs began, but I cut him of softly.

"Someone.. is calling.." I was at the top of the steps, I didn't know whether he planned to follow me or not. I looked up at the temple, that bright building reaching for the foggy sky. The symbol of the Triforce was borne above the tall doors. I stood there longer than I had thought, watching that divine symbol, as if expecting something to suddenly happen to it.

_Why do you wait?_

"It could be a trap." I heard Kiehs' voice behind me. I wasn't sure whether he too had heard the beckon, but I completely ignored his warning. One step, then another. I found myself just before the temple's doors. The Triforce almost glimmered, my hand was weary. I heard Kiehs' almost silent footsteps behind me, and I hesitated no longer.

My foot came down on smooth marble floors. I looked up in mild surprise as three lights caught my eyes. Three differently colored lights which sparkled upon the once-empty altar. I smiled in reminiscence. Kiehs drew in a breath, and I continued forward.

Even in these days of darkness, the Temple of Time was preserved. No evil could taint this place, built by the ancient sages. When I was close enough to touch the three gems on the onyx, I reread the words scratched on the altar. I closed my eyes and hummed the tune in my head. I heard the ocarina's fluid-like voice, I imagined the three Spiritual stones set into place, and the Door opening to welcome it's holder.

But what happened next? Stepping to the side, I climbed up the steps and looked down the wide area the Door of Time once occupied. I saw an eerie light spill down up ahead, and my curiosity swelled. I almost ran forward to see what was there, in this chamber that had been locked away from Hylians for centuries.

A platform was situated in the magnificent chamber. A carved piece of stone stood up in the center, and Triforces decorated both platform and stone. When I stepped closer to see, there was a slit in the stone, it looked designed to hold something of some kind.

_Princess._

Shocked, I turned around a little to quickly. The room was completely empty excluding Kiehs and myself, but the voice was vivid now. I could identify some qualities of the voice, stern, serious but yet encouraging. But how could this person know my title? I spoke out loud to respond to the voice that had brought me here.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" I twisted my head to see if perhaps there was some figure in the shadows, hidden from view. Kiehs' hand was on the hilt of his blade.

_Do not be startled._ The voice ordered me. _You will see me soon enough._

I felt magic, strong magic circle around us, at the edge of the platform. How stupid I had been. It must have been a trap as Kiehs had said. I was not strong enough to break the barrier of magic that circled around us now. The light from the magic intensified and grew brighter, a wall of blue surrounded us. I could not see Kiehs, and I couldn't hear him, or the silent screaming protests I made.

When I dared to open my eyes again, I was standing in a room furnished with gold. Engravings and markings of the Triforce decorated the walls, and there was such a warm light. Kiehs stood next to me, and we looked at each other. I had never seen anyplace like this, I didn't recognize it, and it didn't match and descriptions of any places that I had heard.

"What.. is this place?" I felt my brows furrowed in a frown as I searched his expressionless face.

"I'm.. not certain." He replied, his hand still close to his blade. I checked myself to make sure everything was intact. We looked strange, in our dark clothing of the Sheikah in the middle of this golden room.

I studied the chamber, it was rather large. It was a circle shape, and there was an emblem of the sun engraved on the ground. There was a large arc behind us, leading down another gold-plated hall.

"I was expecting you." I jumped uneasily and heard the high ring of Kiehs' blade as it flew out of its sheathe. It was the same voice I had heard in my head, but it was speaking physically now. I tried to trace the owner, and they spoke again. "You came almost too late."

I saw him immediately, it was as if he was standing there the whole time.

An elderly looking man looked back at us with a hard expression. His hair was white, and he was balding, skin was pale. He was a plump man, dressed in a golden smock with frilly white sleeves. He was looking directly at me, and our eyes locked. He stood completely straight.

"Welcome to the Temple of Light." He said in formality's stiffness. "My name is Rauru."

* * *

Short chapter! >>; 


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